A familiar bold sweet, tangy, and spicy barbecue flavor profile sets itself out from the pack with its clean, unprocessed flavors.

Background

The Cowboy charcoal story dates back over 100 years, starting in Southern Ohio when Jess Rollins went from farmer to farmer, burning their cleared trees into charcoal that could be resold. Then in the 1930's, Roland Crace brought some manufacturing into the business by moving the onsite charcoal burning into centralized kilns. In the 1950's, operators of the West Virginia charcoal plant, Don and Joe Crace, expanded the business under the name Pioneer Charcoal. The two also created Hickory Specialties in the 1970's to initially market their liquid smoke product, but later shifted that brand into the briquettes business. That business was sold to Bob Evans Farms in 1992, and in the same year, Don Jr. and Sam Crace started the Cowboy Charcoal brand, shifting the focus primarily to the production of lump charcoal. Today Cowboy Charcoal is a subsidiary of Duraflame, and along with continuing to churn out lump charcoal, they also sell briquettes, woods chips, and recently added three varieties of barbecue sauce to their expanding product inventory.

Aroma

A bowl of molasses greets your nose on first whiff of this sauce. That deep sweet aroma is backed by a hearty, non-sweet tomato that brings to mind the smell of tomato paste. There's also a smoky and earthy quality giving the sauce a more prominent barbecue stamp. Worcestershire is also clearly present, but plays more of a background roll, along with the heat from peppers, which get overtaken by the overpowering sweet molasses.

Thickness & Texture

This dark maroon sauce is semi-glossy with the sightless texture to it. It's opaque, making it hard to see any spices at all. It's medium-thick consistancy has the sauce falling in one large glob at first off of a suspended spoon, followed by quick drips. The final couple of drips release very slowly, and when all is said and done, a medium coating of sauce is left clinging to the silverware.

Out of the Jar

An upfront syrupy sweetness gains balance with a heavy acidic tomato in the initial taste of this sauce. Molasses comes in quickly as well, giving the sweetness a depth of flavor. As the sauce settles on the tongue, complex Worcestershire begins to play prominently right before the sauce turns more tart by a strong vinegar tang. That tartness amplifies as the sauce turns spicier and spicier, ending with a tangy, tongue tingling heat that retains a more mellow molasses component.

Slathered & Cooked

The sauce coated the chicken in a medium, uneven layer that baked down well over indirect heat. When move right over the fire, the sauce picked up some caramelization and suffered just a little burn off. The flavor retained its robust tomato and molasses profile. The first few bites were primarily sweet, but the peppers started to then kick in and introduced a heat that balanced with the sugars. There was also a nice tang in there as well, which, when combined with the spiciness, left the lips a little tingly.

Put to Use

The initial taste of Cowboy Prairie Fire has the makings of the type of bold, in your face flavors of many standard supermarket barbecue sauces—it hits the tomato, molasses, and sugar hard. But after a couple more spoonfuls, you can taste way more craft, and way less processed flavor than the norm, which raises this sauce in the overall ranks. while coming out of the gate with a big and bold profile, the ingredients all taste fresh and clean, and there's a underlaying complexity from Worcestershire and a nice progression of flavors ranging from sweet to tart to spicy that makes the sauce unique from common rivals. Still, it treads familiar ground, albeit in better fashion, with a strong flavor that's well suited for beef, chicken wings, pork, and ribs. While its intensity can be an asset, it could also be a fault by overpowering some more lightly flavored items like pulled pork, grilled chicken, fish, or veggies.

Giveaway

Meatwavers can give an extra big thanks to Cowboy Charcoal for overloading the Meatwave with their sauce, meaning we have more than normal to giveaway. So with your chances good on winning, all you have to do to enter to win one of two bottles is to comment on this post with the barbecue restaurant, city, or state you most want to visit Deadline for entries is 11:59pm on Tuesday May 23, 2017. Read the official rules for more details. One entry only per individual. Good luck!

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Comments

01

Jeff Whiteside saysBeing a native North Carolinean, I'm ashamed to say I've never been to Skylight Inn in Ayden, NC. I made the trek out last December, but they ended up being closed. Posted Tue, May 16 2017 11:00am

02

note saysJoe's Kansas City BBQ, the original, in the gas station.Posted Tue, May 16 2017 11:46am

03

Andrew Barnett saysI haven't had a chance to try Q39 in Kansas City yet.Posted Tue, May 16 2017 12:13pm

04

Gus saysKruez Market, Lockhart, TX. Even though they would think I'm crazy for using saucePosted Tue, May 16 2017 2:43pm

05

Kevin saysBlacks in Lockhart, TXPosted Tue, May 16 2017 6:30pm

06

Kedryn Evans saysI haven't ever had Texas bbq. I would like to try that!Posted Thu, May 18 2017 1:08pm

Melissa Hanifan Freeman saysI have been wanting to go to Atomic Grill in Morgantown, West Virginia!! I hear it is the best BBQ around my state!! Posted Thu, May 18 2017 1:33pm

12

Colleen Schilinski saysI'd love to try any Texas B-B-Q Restaurant. I only hear many good things about Texas Restaurants, so someday I'll have to venture out that way, and try a few out.Posted Thu, May 18 2017 1:35pm

13

Sondi Boswell saysI would love to try this sause Here in Utah there isn't a lot of good BBQ places but I would try L & L BBQ in Orem Utah Posted Thu, May 18 2017 1:42pm

14

Barbara Riffe saysI have heard so many wonderful reviews on a place in the middle of WV called THE GRILL. I so want to go. Posted Thu, May 18 2017 1:44pm

15

Ruth Crain saysI forgot to pick my restaurant which would be Wiser's Choice in Laceyville, PA. I would love to try this sauce!Posted Thu, May 18 2017 1:44pm

Ginnie Crawford saysId like to try Tillmans bbq in fort pierce, FL. Or any bbq in texasPosted Thu, May 18 2017 11:51pm

35

Julie Wojtowicz saysOmg!! Sounds amazing!! I could eat BBQ everyday of my life!! I am also trying new BBQ sauces can't find one I like! But yours sounds amazing! If I could go anywhere for BBQ .... thought question, because I would want to go to any place that has amazing BBQ. Actually this would be a good time for me now. I broke my right leg, fibula back in November and I am stilled laid up. My leg is just getting worse. But due to tough times I there is no way I could go away for a while,even though I haven't been on a vacation for over 11 it's lol! I think my landlord would be pissed off if I left for a vacation. I'm very behind on all of my bills! Oh well! %uD83D%uDE09 Great now all I want is some BBQ. Omg sounds so good right now. Yummy %uD83D%uDE0B I wish I couldDrive I would get the heck out of Michigan, can't drive becaue it's my right leg! Well if you have any samples of some BBQ Sauce, that will make me Happy %uD83D%uDE0A. MyDream one day is to go to a BBQ cook off (I would even know where to go for one of them, Michigan doesn't have any of those here). Lol. One day I'll make it to a cook off, might be a few years from now but when my bills and rent are caught up. Always told my daughter there is a such thing as a vacation, for the last 11 yrs (she is almost 11 yrs old now) I promised her one day me and her will go on a vacation. Anyways I would love a sample of you have any! Thanks, Julie